Apparatus for continuously conditioning conveyer rolls



July 20, 1943. R. J. STOKER 2,324,652

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CONDITIONING CONVEYER'ROLLS Filed July 30, 1940 605597 J. firm 9;

Patented July 20, 1943 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CONDI- TIONING CONVEYER ROLLS Robert J. Stoker, Gary, Ind., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 30, 1940, Serial No. 348,530 1 Claim. (01. 204-206i This invention relates to conveyer rolls and more particularly to conditioning apparatus therefor.

In the numerous industrial applications conveyer rolls are used for the transfer of strip material, and it is important that they provide a surface which will not mar the strip being con- 'veyed. As an important instance, attention is called to electroplating apparatus wherein metallic strip is provided with a thin metallic coating, such as tin. In the plating tank, conductor rolls are employed for establishing the necessary electric circuit and in order that proper contact be established, it isnecessary that freely 7 which damages the thin electrodeposited coating and makes the strip unsuitable for its intended use.

One type of roll used for holding the strip against the conductor rolls of the electroplating apparatus is provided with a rubber surface. It has been found in practice that these rolls after being ground for a new surface turn freely for but a short time and then gradually slow down until they stop entirely with the deleterious results referred to.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide conditioning apparatus for conveyer rolls whichwill eliminate glazing or superflcial hardening, and accordingly eliminate or materially reduce the slippage between the said" roll and the strip.

Another object is to reduce the cost 'of maintaining resiliently covered conveyer rolls. This accrues from the elimination of the necessity for the removal of the rolls for shop reconditioning.

The foregoinx and other objects will be 8! parent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the device of the present invention; 7

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation;

and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view on the line m-m ofFlgurel.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, thenmneral lgenerally designatesanelectrou umkembodyingtheusualcondmtorrolis I and resiliently covered hold-down rolls l for enabling the close contact of the strip with the said conductorrollalninstellations ofthis type, it is particularly important that tension of the strip be controlled and this makes necessary the use of resiliently covered idle rolls which, of course, depend entirely on contact with the strip for the required motivation thereof. Heretofore, it has been necessary to retain sizeable stocks of spare rolls to replace those which become glazed on their surfaces, such replacement rolls usually being installed during the operation of the electroplating apparatus in order to prevent the shutting down of the latter.

According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided adjacent the ends of the hold-down rolls 4 a suitable support l which,

in the present instance, takes the form of a threaded bolt. These threaded bolts I carry, by meansof suitably spaced nuts 8, a bar 9 which extends parallel to the axis of the roll 2. Se

cured to the bar 8 in any suitable manner, as

by example clamping, is an elongated brush I embodying a very dense assembly of wire bristles having the required temper.

In operation the outer ends of the bristles of the wire brush are held in contact with the entire length of the rubber covered hold-down roll '4 and at all times properly maintain the surface of the latter by continuously brushing to the desired extent, thus eliminating glazing and other surface defects which result in the disadvantages referred to hereinbefore.

While I have shown and described one speciflc embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactlythereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In apparatus for electrolytically producing tin plate in strip form, a tank, a conductor roll located above the level of electrolyte in the tank, a

freely rotating roll cooperating therewith for holding the strip against the conductor roll and for conveying the strip with entrained plating solution thereon from the plating tank, said seeend-named roll having a resilient non-metallic surface directly in contact with said strip throughout the width of the latter. and means for conditioning the said contacting surface of the said second roll comprising a stationary bristle brush extending axially of the roll in contact with the eifective width of its said surface, and means for pressing said brush usinst said second roll with sumcient strength to scratch the surface of said roll, said brush hav ing bristles of a temper 'sui'lcient to prevent glazing of the roll surface by the said entrained piatingsohition." 

